Jewish stars shine at the Tony Awards

Jewish performers, writers and producers were among the big winners at the 79th Tony Awards, with several taking home Broadway’s highest honours. Canadian actress Caissie Levy won Best Leading Actress in a Musical for her acclaimed performance as Mother in Ragtime.

In an emotional acceptance speech, Levy paid tribute to her parents and dedicated the award to her children, calling motherhood “the greatest joy of my life.” Singer and actress Shoshana Bean collected her first Tony Award for The Lost Boys, dedicating her win to single mothers and particularly her own Sephardi mother, who raised her after her parents divorced.

Playwright Bess Wohl made history when Liberation won Best play  becoming the first woman in more than three decades to receive the award. In her speech, she honoured late Jewish playwright Wendy Wasserstein and urged women to “use their voice.”

Actor Alden Ehrenreich won Best Featured Actor in a Play for his Broadway debut in Becky Shaw, while veteran actor John Lithgow became the oldest competitive Tony winner for his performance in Mark Rapaport’s Giant, the play that explores  the legacy of antisemitic author Roald Dahl.

The final award of the night, Best Musical, went to Schmigadoon! with producer Lorne Michaels summing up the spirit of the evening: “Sometimes singing, dancing, a lot of jokes and a happy ending is really all you need.” But it was the opening ceremony that provided the most memorable moment with Pink as host and a reworking of  the song Lady Marmalade celebrating Broadway’s greatest leading ladies.